MACC officer: Zahid asked for RM10m in donation for charity from businessman in first meeting, 10 cheques banked in as instructed

KUALA LUMPUR, March 11 — Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi asked for RM10 million in donation from a Singapore-based businessman in their first ever meeting, claiming it was to help the poor, a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officer told the court today.

MACC investigator Christ Sheldon Anak Merun, whose duties include investigating corruption and money-laundering cases, said this while testifying as the 98th prosecution witness in Zahid’s ongoing bribery, criminal breach of trust and money-laundering trial.

Christ Sheldon said he had on February 22, 2019 met with Wong Sang Woo @ Wong Shuh Chain (Paul) at the Pullman Hotel in Kuching, Sarawak to record a statement from the businessman. At the time that Wong’s statement was recorded, he was already 82 years old.

Wong was born in November 1937 in Hainan, China and had moved to Singapore the following year, and had also applied to reside in Kuching under the Malaysia My 2nd Home programme as he had a shipping business there.

The MACC officer said Wong had been involved in share investments, timber business, property investments, fashion business and as delivery agent in Europe, Japan and China in the 1960s together with Datuk Seri Lau Hui Kang, the late Sarawak timber tycoon who had founded the KTS Group.

The MACC officer then related what Wong had told him while the statement was recorded, with the businessman saying he had first met with Zahid in a dinner event in 2015.

During their first-ever meeting, Zahid had introduced himself as the home minister, while Wong had introduced himself as an entrepreneur from Singapore who was involved in share investments, timber business, property investments, fashion business and as delivery agent.

“Wong said in that dinner event, Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi did ask him to donate to the poor and needy. As a philanthropist, Wong agreed to donate to the foundation founded by Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi,” Christ Sheldon told the court today.

Citing the recorded statement from the businessman, MACC officer said Zahid had told Wong that his personnel would contact him regarding the donation.

“At the end of that dinner, Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi stated an amount of RM10 million to Wong and he asked to consider as he needed time to prepare that amount,” he said.

Wong had then in early 2016 received a phone call from a man as instructed by Zahid to ask about the RM10 million donation to Yayasan Akalbudi which was founded by Zahid. 

Wong said the person had claimed to be instructed by Zahid to notify him of charity works by Yayasan Akalbudi, and had further asked him to make the payment to Kuala Lumpur-based law firm Lewis & Co which was said to be managing the foundation.

While not recalling the name of the man, Wong said he believed the validity of the request as the person spoke of his conversation with Zahid during the 2015 meeting.

Wong, who was no longer in Malaysia at that time, said he had instructed for 10 cheques worth RM1 million each to be signed and issued out by his company Chia Bee Enterprise Sdn Bhd to the law firm Lewis & Co as instructed by Zahid’s personnel.

The MACC officer said Wong did not know why the cheques had to be issued out as 10 separate cheques instead of one single cheque for RM10 million, but had followed the instructions by Zahid’s personnel.

“He made the donation through Chia Bee Enterprise Sdn Bhd with the reasoning that in Malaysia he had given donations to a charitable body founded by the deputy prime minister of Malaysia. He thinks it is a privilege when the deputy prime minister asks for a charitable contribution,” the MACC investigator said. 

Wong did not contact Zahid since their 2015 meeting, but had in 2016 known that Zahid had become the deputy prime minister of Malaysia, the MACC officer said.

Zahid’s lawyers today did not ask the MACC officer any questions and did not seek to challenge his account of events.

Another MACC investigator had yesterday told the prosecution that Wong currently could not be traced to be called to appear in court as witnesses and that immigration records show that he is not in Malaysia. 

In this trial, Zahid ― who is a former deputy prime minister and currently the Umno president ― is facing 47 charges, namely 12 counts of criminal breach of trust in relation to charitable foundation Yayasan Akalbudi’s funds, 27 counts of money laundering, and eight counts of bribery charges.

The trial before High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah is currently nearing the end of the prosecution’s case, with the 99th and final prosecution witness — MACC investigator Khairudin Kilau — testifying today.

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